Mastering the Art of French Cooking...For One

I was writing out a grocery list yesterday morning & trying to figure what I wanted to have for dinner, when suddenly, the idea of making my first cheese soufflé popped into my head. No idea where that thought came from but, I was immediately looking forward to getting back into the kitchen & trying something new. And I knew there was only one person to go to for instructions on making my first soufflé, Julia Child.

(This pretty little brown puff of egg & cheese had me doing a little happy dance around the kitchen when I pulled it from the oven.)

Is is just me, or are soufflés one of those dishes that are always made to seem very difficult to make? I just followed the steps in Mastering the Art of French Cooking & it was pretty darn simple. The hardest part was adapting the ingredients to make 1 serving instead of 4. Now, that I've had success with my first soufflé, I wonder why I've never made a one before & I can't wait to impress Matt with one for lunch next week.

(A little flatter after a picture or two but still as tasty!)

Soufflé Au Fromage Pour Un
Cheese Souffle for One
(adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

2 1/4 t unsalted butter + extra for greasing the ramekin
3/4 oz grated cheese (Swiss is suggested, I used Fol Epi)
2 1/4 t all-purpose flour
1/4 c hot milk
salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of cayenne
pinch of nutmeg
2 eggs, at room temperature
pinch of cream of tarter

Put a rack in the center of your oven & preheat to 400 F.

Grease a small ramekin, one that holds about 1 1/4 cups, with butter. Sprinkle a little cheese around the bottom & sides & set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes , do not let brown. Remove from the heat & add the hot milk. Use a whisk & beat to blend together. Beat in a pinch of salt, the pepper, cayenne & nutmeg. Return to the heat & turn it up to medium-high. Cook while stirring for 1 minute until very thick. Remove from heat.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean bowl & ONE egg yolk into the sauce (you will not be using one of the egg yolks). Whisk the sauce & egg yolk together.

Spoon out about 2 teaspoons of the egg whites & throw them out (Ok, I did this to make it closer to the right amount of egg white for one serving per the recipe but, I think I actually could have just used them all.) Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. Beginning beating with a clean whisk or an electric hand beater. When the eggs whites are foamy add the cream of tarter. Continue beating until the egg whites are stiff.
(I went old school & beat them by hand)
Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into the sauce. Stir in all but about 1/2 t of the remaining cheese. Finally, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour the soufflé mixture into the prepared ramekin, it should fill the ramekin about 3/4 full. Tap lightly on the counter & use a knife to smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Use a cloth to to wipe the top edges of the ramekin clean. Place in the oven & turn the heat down to 375 F. Let cook for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. The soufflé should have risen over the top of the ramekin & be golden brown. Let cook for 5 more minutes to firm up. Eat immediately.

1 serving.

Voila! Fluffy, cheesy, eggy goodness!

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